THE TYING DOWN SYSTEM WITH FETJIT TREES. 
unlearn, would fain commence by laying hold of principles, rather than mere rules. In order, then, 
to see oni- subject cleaiiy, ■we will suppose the form of tree before adverted to, and that several of 
the main branches, right and left, have been conducted into their proper lines ; in other words, we wiU 
take up the practice about to be suggested, at about the second or thii-d year from planting. Every 
one who has had the least to do with trained fruit trees knows, that in their earlier periods, there 
is a natui-al tendency, in the two or three yeai's' old wood, to produce, what are termed by practical 
men, " natural s^yurs," and could this habit be continued for several years, all would be well: people 
would not re(juii-e to be advised about " tying down" systems. It so happens, nevertheless, that the 
true, or natural spui's become scarce in proportion as the tree extends, at least, near the centre of 
the tree ; towards the terminal points, things continue aU right. Now, here arises the principal 
problem, viz., how to keep the tree clothed equally with blossom -buds, walls being expensive things. 
What is termed " spui-ring back," at the winter's pruning, never did, and never can succeed : the 
knife is a much more Ukely agent to produce wood shoots, than natm-al spurs. Every gardener of 
experience knows full well how unsatisfactory the old " spurring back" has ever proved. I have 
before adverted to the tendency in the two and thi-ee years' old shoots, to produce the natm-al spur. 
Tliis habit is common to nearly all our spui'-bearing fruits, and the thorough perception and recog- 
nition of this fact, many years suace, led me to break with the ancient practice of '■ spurring back." 
To return, then, to the main subject in hand, the months of May and June are the proper 
periods when all these li'uits should receive a close examination ; disbudding ought to be prac- 
tised more or less in every trained fruit tree, and now it is, whilst the practice is proceeding, 
that a careful selection should be made of those shoots required for tying down. It was before 
observed, that the main leaders are to be used when established, as a trelKs, in preference to nailing 
the shoots in the intervening spaces, and that this is done in order to permit parallel lines of the wall, 
all over the tree, to become heated by the solar rays. 
The disbudder, therefore, commences operations by merely removing the awkward, or gross 
shoots, providing they can be spared. This done, the trees should remain mimolested for a week or 
two, for most fruit trees are averse to a too heavy and sudden disbudding ; and, besides, the operation 
is performed with more precision at intervals, especially if the young shoots are thick. At the next 
stage, a selection may at once be made, and the simplest way to perform this, is to trace each branch 
of the tree from the bottom upwai'ds, and to merely pinch the point off every shoot not requii-ed 
for tying down. The selection must be, of com-se, made with judgment ; and, in all cases, early, and 
short-jointed shoots must be preferred to those long-jointed and succulent, which late made shoots 
(forced into being by an over powerful root action, tlu'ough ramy weather, or otherwise) generally 
are. Such have a strong tendency to enlarge the fabric of the tree (a matter not needed), but are 
averse altogether to the formation of blossom buds. Those principals are of equal application to 
all om- spur fruits, as far as my experience goes ; but the distinction is more manifest in some kinds 
than in others. 
All gross shoots, or robbers, as some term them, had better be stripped clear away, unless 
required to produce shoots to furnish blank spaces, in which case it is merely necessary to pinch out 
their points when they are about five or six inches in length ; and this stopping should be performed 
as early in the season as possible, in order that the side shoots produced by them, may become weU 
ripened, and that a too violent root action be not encom-aged; which latter would derange the 
eqrulibrium of the tree in the ensuing season. 
The above proceedings wiU bring the operator to the middle of June, or nearly so, and now the 
tying down should commence as soon as possible, or the fruit spm-s for the ensuing season will be 
too much shaded, and imperfect blossoms wiU be the result. The young spray may be tied down in 
a contuiuous way, the whole length of the branches, and whether they are tied singly, or a couple 
together, occasionally, must depend on the character of the young shoots ; care must be taken to 
reserve all that carry those criteria of fi'uitfulness before adverted to ; and where one shoot is 
overtaking another, and creating confusion, the point may be pinched off without hesitation. 
Trees in a healthy state will yet produce a late growth of watei-y spray, especially if the weather 
prove rainy, such may hereafter be stripped away, or pinched as it rises, and trees, on such account, 
should be looked over once a fortnight, during the growing season, in order to keep such disorderly 
growths within bounds. In the early part of August, I hold it good practice to stop or jiinch most 
of the growing shoots, especially those which are still rambling freely; by so doing, and by sufferiug 
the weaker shoots to grow until autumn, much may be done towards keeping the strength of the 
trees equalised. Such practise will also tend to bring on a somew-hat eaiiier rest, thus solidifying 
the wood, a matter of much importance to tender fridt trees. 
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